Tag Archives: Ontario

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Hawkesbury, ON, Canada – Fire at thermoplastics manufacturing plant contained with help from sprinkler system

There was a minor fire at the Prémoulé thermoplastics plant on Tessier Street in Hawkesbury last Friday evening. According to the Hawkesbury Fire Department, the call arrived at 9:14 p.m. and the fire happened inside the plant. Nobody was working inside at the time and the building’s sprinkler system functioned properly. Firefighters quickly had the situation under control, but the smell of smoke remained outside the plant. The Champlain Fire Department station in L’Orignal was called for assistance as there was some concern at the beginning about having enough firefighters available to respond. Once the fire was under control, Hawkesbury firefighters were going to go into the plant to investigate the cause. According to Plant Director Steve Kennedy, 91 people work at the facility. He said the cost of the fire could not be verified and that on Monday, everything at the plant was back to normal. Prémoulé manufactures countertops and cupboard doors.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Port Hope, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system contains fire at sports complex to area of origin

The investigation into the cause of a “minor fire” in one of the family change rooms at the Jack Burger Sports Complex is continuing, as is clean-up following the fire. “Investigation by the fire department is ongoing at this point and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined,” said Kate Ingram, the communications and community engagement coordinator for the Municipality of Port Hope, just after 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6. Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services, along with other emergency crews, responded to the fire call after 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Patrons at the sports complex were evacuated immediately and the facility was shut down. All programming, including the on-ice activities at the arena were cancelled until further notice, with emergency crews remaining at the scene at 60 Highland Dr. into the evening Tuesday.

“The facility will remain closed until the investigation is complete,” said the municipality Tuesday evening following the fire.

In an updated public notice about noon on Wednesday, the municipality confirmed all pool programs remain cancelled for the day.

“The pool accessible change room will be closed for an extended period of time for full remediation,” the latest public notice further states.

There was some smoke damage, Ingram confirmed Wednesday.

An additional update on details about the status of pool programming for Thursday, Feb. 7 is to be issued after 4 p.m. Wednesday.

The arena, however, has reopened, “after required inspections to the fire monitoring system,” but residents are being encouraged to check in with their community program providers to ensure programming is ongoing given current inclement weather conditions.

There have been no injuries reported as a result of the fire.

Director and fire chief C. Ryan Edgar has confirmed the fire was contained to the area of origin and the “fire sprinkler system did exactly what it was supposed to do.”

The fire was out at the complex not long after the initial call went out.

As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, patrons who left behind any belongings during evacuation could contact staff at the Jack Burger Sports Complex to make arrangements to pick up items. Residents looking to make those arrangements or with inquiries can reach staff at 905-885-2474.

Apartment Building, Residential

Peterborough, ON, Canada – Third floor apartment fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Two people were displaced, following a fire on Anson Street last night.

Fire crews responded to reports of a fire at the apartment complex just before 930pm.

Officials say that they found a fire inside a unit on the third floor, and along with the buildings sprinkler system, they were able to extinguish the fire and confine it before it spread to other units.

The lone unit sustained some water damage, which led to the displacement of two people, one of which sustained minor fire related injuries and was treated and released on scene.

The cause of the fire is said to be accidental, and damage is pegged at $50,000.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

St. Thomas, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system helps control nursing home fire

Clean-up efforts continued Monday at a St. Thomas retirement home after a fire last Saturday night. A few dozen residents remain displaced by the fire, but officials are saying things could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the safety precautions in place. A recent fire safety drill at Caressant Care may have prevented mass casualties over the weekend.

Bill Todd, St. Thomas fire prevention officer, says, “In November we did a timed drill in that wing, with staff…Here we are less than two months later doing the real thing…So training helps.” When first responders arrived four minutes after a 911 call, staff were already transporting patients from the nursing home wing, to the retirement side.

Clive Hubbard, an investigator with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office, says “The staff at this facility did a great job of following their fire safety plan and getting [patients] from the fire zone to a safety zone.” Not only were staff prepared, but the building was as well. After a massive fire in Orillia, Ont. in 2009 new legislation required nursing homes to have sprinkler systems in place by 2025. Caressant Care did a proactive retrofit five years ago. Todd says, “This fire would have been a whole lot worse if it wasn’t for sprinklers…It doesn’t put out a fire but delays, in this case it did exactly what it was supposed to do.”

And first responders kicked into high gear as well. At the height of the fire there were 36 firefighters and more than ten EMS vehicles on Bonnie Place, with others alerted

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

New Hamburg, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguished fire at factory; No injuries reported

Fire crews responded to a factory in New Hamburg Saturday afternoon.

One person was inside the Eurocan Pet Products building when firefighters from New Hamburg and Baden showed up.

The building was filled with smoke but the fire had been put out by the sprinkler system by the time crews arrived.

Factory fire in New Hamburg leads to an investigation.

“The sprinkler did its job. Controlled and extinguished the fire and contained it to just the one office,” says Russell Strickler, a Chief with the New Hamburg Fire Department.

An investigation is underway to determine how the fire started.

No injuries were reported.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Windsor, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activated at rubber processing plant

Windsor Fire and Rescue Services firefighters at the scene of a fire at Windsor Rubber Processing Ltd. at 1680 Kildare Road on Dec. 27, 2018. Emergency crews were called out during the noon hour after a machine that shreds rubber overheated, igniting fine fibres in the air. The plant’s sprinkler system extinguished a small fire before fire crews arrived. Firefighters spent nearly two hours at the scene, chasing down glowing embers in the rafters of the evacuated industrial facility. Total damages were described as minor by city fire officials.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Hamilton, ON, Canada – Fire in dust collector at manufacturing facility contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Hamilton firefighters were called to National Steelcar for an early morning blaze.  Fire officials believe a spark ignited combustible materials in the company’s dust collection system.  The building’s sprinkler had the blaze under control when firefighters arrived, but crews had to open the dust collection system and remove the filter to put out the fire.  The flames didn’t spread to the rest of the building, and all employees managed to escape without injury.

Retail

Brampton, ON, Canada – All animals safe at PetSmart store after sprinkler system isolates fire

The incident called firefighters to the scene of a PetSmart location at 547 Steeles Avenue.  Brampton Fire & Emergency Services reported on Twitter that the fire was isolated by the sprinkler system and is under control.  All animals in the store have been reported safe.

Reported on Twitter – Crews operating at a commercial property fire at 547 Steeles Av. Fire is under control. Sprinkler system has isolated the fire. All animals are safe. Smoke control is underway. @CityBrampton @BPFFA1068 ^hg

 

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Innisfil, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system suppressed fire at secondary school until fire crews arrived; No injuries reported

Innisfil Fire crews were called to Nantyr Shores Seconday School in Alcona on Tuesday afternoon after receiving a report of a fire.

According to Innisfil Fire, a small fire was detected in one of the school’s washrooms.

Officials say the sprinkler went off and it suppressed the fire until crews arrived on scene.

According to a tweet from the Simcoe County District School Board, students from Nantyr Shores Secondary School were evacuated to St. Frances of Assisi Catholic School.

Innisfil Fire says the fire was put out and there were no injuries as a result of the incident.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fergus, ON, Canada – Fire Chief credits sprinkler system in early morning fire at plastics plant

Sprinklers put out a small early morning fire at the AO Smith building on Hill Street West here on Oct. 31.  The fire began in the SM Polymers portion of the building, which is separated from the main AO Smith building by concrete blocks.  Centre Wellington deputy fire chief Jonathan Karn said the department was called at 5:20am but when firefighters arrived the fire was largely extinguished by the sprinkler system.  Karn said two cardboard boxes piled close to the ceiling ignited when a heater was turned on.

“So no damage to the building itself; actually the sprinkler system activated and put the majority of the fire out before we got there, which is good,” Karn said.  “It actually saved that building and most of the product.”

The damage is estimated at $5,000 to $10,000. There were no injuries and all employees had evacuated to the parking lot prior to the arrival of firefighters, Karn said.  The fire department cleared the scene just before 6:20am.